DWD Academy
by AvatarFreak17
Summary: D.W.D. Academy. Where there are no teachers, cameras track your every move, and a twelve foot tall wall surrounds the school. Did I mention what happens in detention? Jack FrostxElsa/Jelsa. Modern AU. Multifandom, including Super Six or whatever they're supposed to be called, Rise of the Brave Tangled Frozen Dragons? Loosely based off of Robison Wells' "Variant". Accepting OCs!
1. Preview

**A/N: Hello there! Now, this is my first fanfiction that's not a poem, and I don't _quite_ know what I'm doing, so bear with me, please. This idea is just about ready to go, I just need to write it. I thought I'd give you some basic knowledge about what will be going on in this fanfic. As said in the summary, it's an AU loosely based off of "Variant", by Robison Wells. If you've read the book, feel free if I get something wrong, I'm just going by memory at the moment. I'll be writing more at the bottom!**

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**The School**

D. W. D. is a strange school. Twenty-five students were brought to the school when it opened, with no instructions or orientation. They were each given a rulebook, though broken rules are rarely punished, and eventually they learned the routine. The school is surrounded by a wall, and beyond that an electric fence. There are no adults in the school, the closest thing to one is a robot named Wall-E, and the students have to do jobs themselves. With each job comes a 'contract', which allows students to access certain areas of the school.

Every week, students bid for the contracts – using points, the equivalent to money - and the lowest bidder wins. It didn't take long until you had to bid one point if you wanted the job, which made things tricky. Soon, people started to bid in groups, which eventually led to the formation of the three current groups - also called gangs by the students. There is the Society, who believe that the only way to survive in the school is to follow the rules, Havoc, who take advantage of the lack of authority and punishment, and the Variants, also called the V's, who don't belong in either groups.

**Jack Frost (Variant)**

Jackson Overland, better known as Jack Frost, is a 17-year-old boy with the ability to create ice, snow, and fly. He's only recently developed these powers, his hair turning white at 16 and the powers emerging just two months ago. He loves his power, but is afraid of telling everyone at first. When his grandfather, Nicholas – who has acted as a father figure to him since he was nine – finds out, he is sent to D. W. D. Academy. Nicholas tells him that it is the best place for him to go, with no explanation why, other than "It will all be clear soon". He's fascinated with the school, for the first ten minutes. He discovers that all is not what it seems. It is surrounded by an electric fence, and a kilometer behind it is a twelve foot tall wall, where Jack's powers mysteriously stop working forty feet from it. He learns that the school has next to no contact with the outside world, and wonders if that is why his grandfather sent him here. He joins the Variants, but can easily fit in with Havoc. He is very conflicted about the school, but he finds that he can relate to many of the students.

**Elsa Solberg (Society)**

Elsa Solberg was born into a family of intellectuals. Her powers over ice and snow emerged at an early age, and she's lived her life plagued by fear since. Her brain was scanned annually by her parents in the hopes of finding the source of her powers, but her parents have been unsuccessful. She has been homeschooled all her life, but began attending the academy when she was 16. She is one of the Originals, the first students to come to D. W. D. Academy, along with twenty-four others. Elsa helped form the Variants, but later joined the Society and volunteered to do orientations, for reasons currently unknown. Elsa has only purposely used her powers during one escape attempt, but they failed her.

**Rapunzel Giese (Society)**

Rapunzel. Just Rapunzel, as she would say. She never knew her parents; she lived much of her life going from foster home to foster home. However, there was one woman who always stuck in her mind. Her name was Gothel, and she had adopted Rapunzel when she was seven. She encouraged her to pursue singing, and would often ask Rapunzel to sing for her as she brushed her long, golden hair. The first time she sang for her was when they discovered her power. Rapunzel never knew why her hair had the power to heal when she sang that song, but Gothel seemed to. Being a child, she never questioned it, and instead heeded Gothel's warnings and spent much of her childhood in her room, safe from the dangers of the world. Unfortunately, Gothel went missing when Rapunzel was eleven. She rarely stayed in a home for more than a few months after that. Since then, she's longed for a permanent home. She took matters into her own hands and earned a scholarship to D. W. D. Academy, she was packed and ready to go weeks before the school officially opened. Since then, she has tried to live life in the academy optimistically. She tries to live life to the fullest and, being in the Society, is the school's medic.

**Merida Lister (Havoc)**

Merida Lister was raised by a strict mother who believes in proper etiquette. Of course, this didn't work on her. Instead, it only fueled her fire. She firmly believes in true freedom, and instantly hated the thought of going to D. W. D. Academy, a 'prestigious boarding school with proper education', as her mother would describe it. A school with a _uniform_, Merida would say with disgust. She refused to attend the school without a fight, which is why she was one of the last-minute arrivals. However, once she arrived and realized there were no teachers, she rejoiced. She took advantage of the lack of authority and the forest surrounding the school, and was never found without her bow and arrow when given the opportunity. She is often praised as Havoc's best in paintball, and she knows it to be true. She has found that her life is better at the academy than back home, and though it sometimes bothers her, she doesn't complain about the wall and the lack of contact with the world.

**Anna Solberg (Variant)**

Anna was very enthusiastic about attending D. W. D. Academy. Her older sister by three years, Elsa, discovered her powers when Anna was still a baby. Because of the danger they imposed, Elsa was homeschooled, and in an effort to keep her from complete isolation, so was Anna. Elsa, however, had different ideas. She stayed in her room all the time, Anna often went days without a sighting of her sister. Her parents insisted upon her staying home, and soon became awkward around strangers, which sadly included her own sister. Elsa's powers were a true mystery, her parents conducted annual brain scans and checkups on both of them to try and find the reason, but they never did. Anna figures that there must be something about her own brain that they're not telling her, but after years of poking and prodding at the subject, she's rendered it useless. Anna, along with Elsa, is one of the Originals, and quickly found her own place as a Variant at the academy. Sometimes, while everyone is still asleep, she considers knocking on Elsa's door to try and reconnect with her, but she has never been able to bring herself to do it.

**Hiccup Haddock (Variant)**

Hiccup refuses to reveal his real name, which isn't a rare case at D. W. D. Academy. Life didn't change for him when he entered the academy at the age of 15, so he is indifferent to any escape plans. Though he is one of the Originals, he still hasn't found his place. He isn't very strong physically, but makes up for it mentally. However, few realize the genius inside and he is often ignored. He longs to fit in with the other kids at the academy, but his attempts are often laughed upon. He doesn't feel he belongs in any of the groups, and switches often. He spends most of his time as a Variant, but sometimes joins the Society for the sake of the contracts it has. Sometimes, at night, he likes to wander the dorms, often staring at the stars that are much clearer away from the city.

**Astrid Hofferson (Society)**

Astrid is determined to get what she wants. She didn't hesitate when given the opportunity to attend D. W. D. Academy. She wants to leave her mark at the academy, and hasn't failed in doing so. She excels in her classes, as random as they may be, and is liked by many. She follows protocol in most situations and works as a part of the security team in the Society. She knows exactly who she is and what she wants. However, she knows that there is something wrong about what happens in the academy. She was one of the many who tried to escape in the first months, but she realizes now that if she wants to survive, she will have to follow the rules and hope for the best.

**Flynn Rider (Havoc)**

Like the other kids at D. W. D. Academy, Flynn Rider doesn't go by his true name. Few are aware that Flynn isn't his real name; even fewer know what it is. He is a charismatic fellow, and very few have broken through his outer shell. Living as an orphan, he wishes for fame and fortune, knowing that that will never happen unless he does things himself. He is quite popular within Havoc, and he makes sure that is never represented in the wrong way, whether it be his nose or his personality. He enjoys the attention he receives at the academy, and prefers living there than the outside world.

**Theresa "Tooth" Fay (Society)**

It was obvious that Theresa, otherwise known as Tooth, didn't quite fit in with others. Within months of her birth, she started to look… different. She soon grew wings, and feathers adorned much of her body. Her contact with others was restricted, and she was forced to wear wigs. It wasn't as bad as it seemed, though. She loved her colourful feathers, and wore multi-coloured wigs to match it. Her violet eyes fascinated others, including herself. However, that changed when she turned 8. Her homeschooling began, and anybody that was close to being a friend was gone. When she turned 13, she was brought to D. W. D. Academy, and she never saw her parents again. She struggles to keep her secret from the other students, her roommate, Astrid, most of all. But she manages, and sometimes she catches herself enjoying her time at the academy. In those rare moments, she truly believes that she's found a home, a place where she belongs. Then she remembers. She can never have a home.

**Bunnymund (Society)**

Bunnymund is a strong, young boy with a strange name. It is well known that Bunnymund isn't his real name, but no one knows why he would _want_ to go by such a name. His fashion is ridiculous, one could say. Old fashioned, he wore suits almost daily and was never seen without his top hat. It is quite surprising that no one knows his secret. His name practically screamed what he was hiding, and he's given numerous hints in the past. Nonetheless, no one has discovered his ears, or his tail. He was born with rabbit-like ears, and a tail to match. His tall ears were hard to hide, and it was much too painful to pin them down, so his solution was to wear a top hat. If he were any other boy, this would be questioned immensely, but he is far too imtimidating to be questioned. Bunny's ears are also more sensitive, and he often uses it to his advantage in the paintball field. This tough Australian can rival Merida, and the often step on each others toes. His height makes him intimidating, and he could certainly fit in with Havoc if he wanted to. However, he prefers rules and stability over chaos and change, and sticks with the Society, even though he is the oddball within the group.

**Sandy (Variant)**

Sandy was born mute, which can make life at D. W. D. Academy difficult. His parents and close friends adapted and learned sign language, unfortunately, only a few students know even the most basic sign language. He keeps a text-to-speech device with him to communicate with the other students, though the broken words often leave him with little conversation with others. Of course, being mute also gives him an excuse not to talk about certain… things. You might think his nickname is because of his sand-like hair, but you would be wrong. He, like other students, has a special power. He has power over sand, and can create it out of thin air. Over the years, he has learned that the sand he creates is connected to dreams, he can sense others' dreams and change them, and the sand also has the power to put people to sleep instantly. Since the discovery, he often stays up late in the night, patrolling the dorm hallways, giving the students pleasant dreams throughout the night. There are students who stay up far past curfew, but he leaves them be. He hovers around the Variants and the Society, but he spends most of his time as a Variant.

**Violet Parr (Society)**

Violet is a shy, 14-year-old girl. Unlike the other students, she has spent her life surrounded by powers. Her father, known as Mr. Incredible, has super strength, and is legendary amongst the others with powers. It wouldn't be incorrect to compare her mother to elastic, in fact, many know her as Elastigirl. Violet's brother, Dash, has the power of super speed. Violet can't help but feel that she doesn't belong in her family of 'Supers'. Her powers are more evasive, with the ability to turn invisible and to create force fields. She hasn't realized the full extent of her powers, although she uses them often. At the age of 13, Violet was sent off to D. W. D. Academy. She was indifferent to the decision, but, under the influence of her mischievous little brother, she stole a super suit from her mother's closet just prior to her departure. She soon discovered that the suit turns invisible _with_ her, and often wears it under her uniform, just in case. She carries a shoulder bag with her at all times to store her clothes in, and doesn't hesitate to use her powers during a paintball game. It is quite surprising how her powers haven't been discovered yet, with her frequent use of it. Despite her risky moves, she feels uncomfortable breaking the rules and living without them, which is why she is with the Society.

**Norman (Variant)**

Norman is not like other kids. He has been able to see ghosts for as long as he can remember, and it irks his parents, particularly his father. He suspects he was sent to D. W. D. Academy because of his ability, but he doesn't mind. In fact, he prefers the academy over his hometown, where he was bullied on a daily basis. He's opted to not tell anyone of his power, in the fear of being bullied once more. Unfortunately, he still sees ghosts at the school, and is more than surprised to find out they died recently. Being newer to the school, he doesn't quite know how they died. He feels he doesn't belong with the Society or Havoc and joined the Variants upon his arrival.

**According to Microsoft Word:**

**Counts:**

Words - 2492

Characters - 11290

Sentences - 147

**Readability:**

Passive Sentences - 15%

Flesch Reading Ease - 71.1

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level - 7.4

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**A/N: So, what do you think? Please note that some of this was written past midnight and I was half-asleep, I think that was somewhere around Bunnymund. Speaking of Bunny, I'm not fond of the solution for his ears that I came up with, so I'm going to need your help with this!**

**I am planning on having _much_ more characters in this story, these characters are just the main characters that you will likely see the point of view of.**

**If you think that some characters wouldn't belong in the group I put them in, tell me! I admit, I need to watch a lot of movies again to truly get the character, but this is what I guessed from memory. I hope I came up with reasonable backstories for all of them. You'll learn more about the groups within the actual story, and I'm willing to make changes if you bring up a reasonable argument. However, Jack, Merida, and Elsa will be in their groups for sure.**

**I can't decide what Tooth's last name should be, I wrote down 'Fay', but I am also considering 'Fairchild'. Let me know which one you would like!**

**Now, I didn't mention it above, but starting from the school's one year anniversary, three kids will be brought to the school monthly. I haven't exactly thought of that many students yet. I have enough to last a few months in the school, but I'm going to need your help. Please tell me what characters you would like to see in the story, and I'll likely add them. The only thing is is that they might be OOC, as I can't remember/haven't watched a lot of animated movies. If I can, I'll watch the movie online, but I can only do that with a phone, so I can't guarantee that I will. If you're willing to give a description and what group they'd be in, they're probably going to be included. I'm willing to accept OCs! Just give a name, describe their personality, what they look like, and what group they're in. If you want be to get it right, though, you have to be specific. Otherwise, I may just write the OC how I translated your description.**

**I'm planning to make this story long, and the updates should be as well. Now, my motivation to write is a litle sketchy, so I may not be able to update on a schedule. Please tell me what you would want:**

**1\. Very short updates every few days (Max. word count of a thousand) **

**2\. Medium-ish updates weekly (About 2,000 words, but this will vary the most)**

**3\. Long updates whenever I can (No schedule at all, but 5,000+ words)**

**4\. Update whenever I have at least 3,000 words to give**

**5\. Somethine else (Please specify)**

**Whatever gets the highest vote will happen! I may change the schedule every so often, so what you pick still has a chance.**

**Pairings:**

**Jelsa/Jack Frost X Elsa (This is my OTP, so this will definitely happen)**

**Hiccstrid/Hiccup X Astrid (I'm fond of this ship, but it's not guaranteed)**

**Merricup/Merida X Hiccup (Alright with it, so it might happen)**

**Flynnzel(?)/Flynn X Rapunzel (85% chance of happening)**

**Guy X Eep (Is there a ship name for them? Will likely happen as a side thing)**

**MK X Nod (Again, ship name? Will probably be like Guy and Eep)**

**I don't think there are any others, but it depends on what characters pop up in the story. I'm undecided about Hiccstrid and Merricup, so I'll leave it to you guys to vote.**

**This story is going to rely heavily on you guys, so don't hesitate to make suggestions! I'm hoping to make this as interactive as possible.**

**I'm not very happy with the length of this A/N...**

**I'm going to start working on the first few chapters as soon as I post this, but they'll be a little short as I work out the last few details. This is and those chapters are only meant to give you an idea of what this story will be like.**

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**EDIT (01/09/15): **

**An update schedule has been decided - so, sorry if I talk about it a lot in other A/N's.**

**You can _only_ vote for the Hiccstrid VS Mericcup thing in the poll on my user page.**


	2. Prologue

**A/N: Thank you for checking out this fanfic! Please note that somewhere around Anna and Hiccup I was half-asleep. On another note, I'll be posting Microsoft Word statistics each chapter, because I think it's cool and whatnot. They will **_**always**_** exclude A/Ns.**

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**Prologue**

**_._._._**

**Statistics, According to Microsoft Word:**

**Words: 2254**

**Passive Sentences: 7%**

**Flesch Reading Ease: 76.2**

**Flesch - Kincaid Grade Level: 6.3**

**Microsoft Word Pages: ~6**

_._._._

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**Elsa**

It's a hat-and-scarf kind of morning, the sun still resting below the horizon as the children struggle to keep their eyes open in the early morning. They're travelling by charter bus, saving the students from the abnormally frigid weather. Most dismiss it as Canadian weather, being foreign to the country, but Elsa knows better. She knows it is her doing, and she is terrified of it. It shouldn't be cold enough for frost in September, but thanks to Elsa's power – or curse, as she calls it – it is.

She discovered her powers when she was a mere toddler, and it excited her. Her younger sister would beg for her to use them, and Elsa didn't hesitate to do so. They were the closest of sisters, they were never seen without each other, and they were often caught making snowmen in their family's living room.

Of course, that didn't last for long. Her parents soon grew worried by the immense power the young girl had, and desperately searched for the reason why she was so unique. She was expected to wear her gloves at all times, and very rarely did she leave the house.

Her power soon became something to control, and later something to fear. She convinced herself that she was a monster, began to _believe _that she was a monster and didn't deserve to have her family. She locked herself in her room for days at a time, and though she was filled with guilt, she told herself it was for the better.

Sometimes she wishes things could be different, no, not sometimes, _all the time_.

She wishes she could control it. She wishes that she didn't have to fear hurting others. She wishes her powers didn't exist.

"But you can't get everything you wish for," She often reminds herself.

Worry consumes Elsa as she thinks about what lies ahead. Her parents are sending her and Anna to D. W. D. Academy, a boarding school. She is reluctant to go, but she is also obedient, and went along with her father's plans. The thought of _living_ at a school filled with students and teachers strikes fear into her heart, the thought of _sharing a room_ with someone else even more so.

She soon finds her self drifting off to sleep, though she knows it won't be pleasant. Nightmares have plagued her for months on end now, and she often finds herself exhausted from avoiding sleep. She welcomes sleep with open arms now, in the hopes for just one pleasant dream.

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**Rapunzel**

Rapunzel excitedly looks out her window, glad that they're inside the bus and not outside, where, through the dim morning light, frost coats the ground. She wonders how far the school is from the nearest town, they've been driving just below the speed limit for an hour now, and they didn't seem to be any closer. She didn't mind the travel, but the other students are getting restless, especially the girl sitting beside her, Merida.

Rapunzel tried to speak to the girl when they boarded the bus, but only spoke long enough to learn her name before Merida made it clear that she doesn't want to speak with her. Rapunzel noticed Merida's thick Scottish accent and wanted to ask her about it, but decided to leave her be for the rest of the bus ride.

Instead, she spends the trip looking out the window occasionally, but mostly examining the pale blonde hair of the girl in front of her. Eventually, she takes her notebook out, sketching what she could see of the girl. Rapunzel can see from the crack between the window and the seat that she's drifting off, her head slowly making its way to lean against the window.

"Y'know, she prob'ly doesn't appreciate being drawn without 'er permission," Merida remarks loudly, waking up the girl and startling Rapunzel, causing her pencil to fall to the floor, quickly rolling away towards the back of the bus.

The girl doesn't seem to realize Merida was talking about her, and goes back to sleep. Merida jabs Rapunzel with her elbow, "Are ya goin' to ask or what?" She says, annoyance in her voice.

"Um, no?" She says, unsure of what to say as she tries to put her notebook away quietly, already blushing with embarrassment.

"Ugh, I can tell you 'ave no backbone!" She loudly remarks as she leans back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest while blowing a lock of her wild, red hair out of her face.

"Sorry?" Rapunzel tries to apologize, though it comes out as a question.

"Don't apologize fer it! That just makes it worse!" She yells, causing Rapunzel to shrink back in her seat. By now she has the attention of the bus, and she seems to realize she's yelling. She mutters out an apology, her face flushing with embarrassment.

Rapunzel tries to appear more confident when she's around her.

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**Merida**

Merida looks around the bus, realizing that the most of the other students were staring. She hadn't meant to yell at the girl, Rapunzel, she thinks. She just can't stand shy people, and Rapunzel came off to her as one.

Sheepishly, she apologizes to Rapunzel.

She leans her head back, suddenly overwhelmingly tired. It didn't take long before she was met with pleasant dreams.

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**Anna**

Whispers of the red-headed girl spreads throughout the bus, and Anna can't help but feel bad for her. The girl only lost her temper, and she must be tired, she's sleeping right now, after all.

Anna sits at the very back of the bus, a tall boy wearing a suit and a top hat next to her. She would have loved the window seat, but he claimed it before her. She doesn't know his name, and would ask if he wasn't so intimidating. She started humming a tune earlier, and she was met with a glare from him. Since then, she's been bored out of her mind. That is, until the red-headed girl yelled at the girl with long, blonde hair.

Luckily, the girl calmed down immediately afterwards.

Anna looks down at her shoes, the runners anyone would think are brand new, but in reality, Anna's owned them for two years. She wonders if she'll hit a growth spurt soon, after all, she's thirteen and she's still wearing shoes from when she was eleven.

She notices a pencil on the floor and picks it up. It's an artist's pencil, and she notices a piece of tape wrapped around it, with a name written with a black pen. It's an odd name: Rapunzel.

Anna shrugs and pockets it, knowing she'll find the owner eventually. She looks ahead at the other students, and only notices one student with a sketchbook.

He looks around fifteen, and he wore a brown fur vest. Anna can't see what he's drawing, but he seems completely absorbed by it. As strange as the names sounds, Anna can tell the name is feminine, and concludes that it can't be him.

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**Hiccup**

Hiccup had been absentmindedly doodling in his sketchbook for the last ten minutes before he realized what he was drawing. It was a two-headed dragon, the second dragon he's drawn since the night before. It's nagging at him, he has no particular interest in dragons, and yet, somehow, he ends up drawing them when he isn't paying attention. It's been happening for a week now, each time he drew a different dragon, and somehow he knew exactly how fast, how strong, how powerful, and how smart they are.

He would have mentioned it to his father, but he didn't want to add on to the list of things attributing to his nerd of a son that he's disappointed of. His mother was an entirely different story.

He decides to add more details to the dragon, and barely notices when the red-headed girl on the other side of the aisle yells at the girl next to her. Just minutes afterwards, he finishes the dragon and takes a moment to admire his work. He notices the boy sitting beside him stare at his drawing, and he snaps his notebook shut, turning away and staring out the window.

The bus slows down as it passes a tall fence with barbed wire. Suddenly, going to D. W. D. Academy isn't so desirable, but Hiccup dismisses the fence as something to keep animals out.

After fifteen more minutes, they pass through a tall wall, at least twelve feet tall, and Hiccup can't help but wonder what _that's_ for. The fence is excusable, but why would the school need a wall as well? He pushes the thought away and eagerly looks ahead, sure that they will arrive at the school in no time.

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**Astrid**

Astrid sits up in her seat in anticipation, they had already passed through a fence and a wall, she's sure they'll arrive soon.

She's eager to arrive, the girl behind her started yelling earlier and she can tell the other students are anxious. Astrid herself is struggling not to lose her patience.

Suddenly, a large castle comes into view, and Astrid can't help but be reminded of the school in X-Men.

"We're going to be living in _there_?" Astrid asks incredulously.

The other students look at the castle with awe, some excited at the prospect of living in a castle.

The driver pulls up to the castle, announcing to everyone that they're free to get off. Astrid is the first, running up to the doors with amazement in her eyes. Half of the students have exited the bus when she comes to a sudden realization.

"Wait, isn't anyone going to come with us inside?" She asks the driver, but she is only met with a shrug.

"If there was they would have boarded the bus," He says simply as the last student walks off the bus. "Good luck!" He closes the door, and the compartments along the side of the bus open, revealing their luggage.

Everyone races to retrieve their belongings, and the moment everyone does, the doors slam shut, and the driver races out of the school grounds.

Suddenly, Astrid feels completely and utterly stranded, with twenty-five other students and their luggage.

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**Flynn**

If there is one thing Flynn wasn't expecting about the school, it was this.

Everyone kind of just stands there for awhile, a little dazed and confused as the bus drives out of sight.

"Well, let's get to it!" Flynn yells, clapping his hands together and snapping everyone back to reality. He picks up his suitcase and carries it to the front door, absolutely no hesitation as he swings it open.

He admits, what he sees shocks him.

A robot stands before them, holding a container full of books. It yells out a "Wall-E!" in everyone's silence. Flynn, refusing to become dazed, grabs one of the books from the robot and soon realizes that it is a rulebook.

He doesn't bother to go through it, knowing he would break them all anyways, and walks down the hallway, which doesn't look anything like the outside. It's actually quite the opposite.

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**Theresa**

Theresa is awestruck by the school. On the outside, it's a classic castle, what any little kid would imagine. On the inside, it's the polar opposite. The walls are painted with contrasting colours and sharp edges, and Theresa almost doesn't notice that all the corners are rounded, in anticipation of rambunctious teens.

She fiddles with the edges of her black, fingerless gloves, the only thing stopping the other students from seeing the feathers that climb upwards from her wrist. She's long since gotten used to wearing the gloves; it almost feels unnatural to not wear them.

She waits for someone to make the next move, and expects it to be the tall boy with brown hair from before, but she's surprised to see it be the red-headed girl.

"Oh, thank _God_ the inside doesn't look like a castle too!" She shouts, barely noticing the robot as she walks past it. The robot, however, seems determined to give everyone the books and races in front of her, holding the blue plastic container above his head. She sighs as she grabs a book, pushing past the robot. "Hello?" She calls out to anyone else who might be in the school, but is instead met with an echo.

"Um, guys?" A girl with pale blonde hair in a tight bun says, her gloved hands flipping through the pages of the book. She says something, but her voice is drowned out as the others start to chatter, most of them confused by the school that seems to be empty.

"Hey!" Theresa suddenly finds herself yelling, and everyone gradually quiets down. "Let the girl speak!" She gestures to the pale blonde, who gives a nod of thanks.

"It says here," She points at a page in the book, as if everyone could see what she was pointing at. "That there are no teachers or staff members…" She trails off, looking up from the book to see everyone's reaction.

"But, every school needs teachers!" A girl with ginger hair exclaims, not any less confused than the other kids.

"Just read the book, Anna. It says it right here," She seems to know the girl, and calmly explains it to her. "It explains everything we need to know here,"

Theresa grabs a book from the robot and quickly skims through the book. She's right, it explains everything there.

"It looks like we're on our own," The girl says grimly.

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**A/N: Bonjour! So I was going to have all the POVs of the main characters (The Originals, anyway), but then I realized I would have to write a lot of action on that bus, or have very short POVs. I decided to only include a few, if you can call it that.**

**Now, there was a reason I mentioned X-Men when they saw the castle. So, about a week ago, when I was planning this, I thought "Hey, why not toss the kids in a castle?". And so I went to Wikipedia for a list of castles in Canada (Because I'm Canadian, deal with it) and found a castle in British Columbia. Now, being British Columbian, I though, "Hey, why not?" and found Hatley Castle, or whatever it's official name is. Without realizing it, **_**I picked the castle that is used in X-Men.**_** If the internet can be trusted, that is. And, I'm going to say this right now, this story might seem a little bit like X-Men (What with powers and 'special' kids and the use of the word 'mutant'), but this is **_**completely unintentional.**_** And now I've decided to poke fun at it and make references to X-Men throughout the story.**

**The school is located somewhere around Kitimat (Which is in British Columbia, Canada. Just look it up with your preferred search engine - which I sincerely hope isn't Bing.), and I'm using that region for climate and whatever, although that isn't where the actual castle is located.**

**And to clarify, I wanted to include Sandy's POV, but ran out of chapter. If that makes sense. Sandy used his sand to put Merida to sleep to help ease tensions.**

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**Hiccstrid VS Merricup, so far:**

**Hiccstrid is in the lead with one vote, meanwhile Merricup is at zero!**


	3. I - Part I

_._._._

**Chapter One** \- **Part One**

_._._._

**Jack**

"Believe me, it'll be fine!" A woman dressed all in white says, her blue eyes trying to seem reassuring, but they only seem artificial to me. She asked us to call her Eva, giving no last name, making me suspicious. Shouldn't these schools be formal? It _is_ an academy, after all. Or maybe it's one of _those_ schools, where the teachers go by their first name. Nonetheless, I chose not to say anything.

The only other kids with me can't be a day older than eleven, and I wonder what kind of school it is. How big is it? If it can support kids from Grade 6 to 12, it has to be large.

I had done research on the school, but found very little on it. I'm surprised Grandpa managed to get a phone number. I have no idea where it is, what it looks like, or even who the principal is.

Eva didn't say much throughout the ride, putting on an optimistic face and occasionally looking towards the younger kids – Norman and… Caroline? - who look bored out of their minds. I admit, I'm bored too.

Finally, Eva starts slowing down, and I sit up straight in anticipation. Only to discover that they were passing a chain link fence with barbed wire. _This school just keeps on getting weirder and weirder_.

After a few more minutes, a tall wall becomes visible. I suddenly feel a sharp pain jolt through my chest, and I gasp, luckily only drawing the attention of Norman, who only gives me a curious look before turning away.

The car slowly passes the wall, and in that moment, I feel… _grounded_, almost. I can tell something is wrong, but can't pinpoint what. The feeling fades away as the car gradually moves forward, leaving me to ponder over what happened. _Does it have anything to do with the wall?_ _But the others don't seem affected by it…_

I try to inconspicuously look at Norman, who seems the slightest bit worried for a second, before relief floods his face. I'd ask him about it, but I think it's something to be done in private, though I'm not sure we'll see each other often with the age difference.

"Okay, kids! We're almost there!" Eva says with excitement. The car speeds up, and soon I can see a… castle?

I look out the window in amazement, my face pressing against it as the car pulls to a stop in front of the doors. I look over at the other kids, and Caroline doesn't look pleased.

"Hey, brighten up Caroli-" I start, before he's cut off by the girl.

"It's _Coraline_," She exclaims, crossing her arms as she gets out of the car without another word. _Oops._

Eva pops the trunk, with an overly cheerful remark that they should love the school.

"Wait, aren't you coming with us?" I ask. You would think she would introduce them to someone at least. Not that I mind going in by myself, I doesn't particularly like the woman.

"I'm afraid not," She says with a warm smile. "I have many more things to do today. If I go inside, then we'll all get to talking, and I'll never get out of there." She picks up three envelopes from the passenger seat and hands them to me. Our first names, Jack, Norman, and Coraline are typed on the front in tiny letters. "Give this to whoever does your orientation. It's should be Elsa, if I'm right."

I take the envelopes and step out of the car, Norman right behind me. My legs are sore from the long drive, and I stretch. I walk towards the trunk and grab my bag, Norman following suit. Coraline is already by the front door, waiting impatiently.

The castle looks majestic and promising, and I wonder what will wait inside. I look up, and I see that, through the second floor windows, there are students looking through. Some were staring, but others are pointing or gesturing, even shouting silently behind the glass. In the middle of them all, there is a boy with sandy hair. He's holding a notebook, and, covering the whole page, he's drawn a large _V_ and the word _GOOD_. When he sees that I've noticed him, he smiles, points at the _V_, and gives a thumbs-up.

A moment later, there is a loud buzz and click, and the front doors open. A girl appears, but she is roughly pushed away as two girls emerge, both wearing the uniform I managed to find on the school's website, a steel blue sweater over a white shirt, and it seems they've both opted to wear the knee-length charcoal skirts. One girl has frizzy, untamed red hair, while the other has her ginger hair in two braids. The former of the two darts down the stairs, sprinting after Eva's car. The other girl pauses and tightly grabs my arm. I almost wince; this girl has a strong grip.

"Don't listen to Bunny or Flynn," She says firmly. "We can't get out of here." Before Jack can even open his mouth, she's gone, charging after the other girl.

_._._._

**A/N: Hello there! Thanks for getting this far! Now, I'm kinda unhappy with what I have for the real chapter one, but I wanted to give you an update, and so there's this. I kind of went too far with making this the same as the beginning of Variant and it's pretty much an exact copy (Which is why I'm not happy with it). However, everything but those last few paragraphs are completely _mine_. Which reminds me, I didn't do a disclaimer in the other two chapters, so:**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN VARIANT, RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, FROZEN, TANGLED, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, BRAVE, PARANORMAN, CORALINE, THE INCREDIBLES, WALL-E, THE CROODS, EPIC, KUNG FU PANDA, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, MULAN, AND BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE IS NOT MINE. THIS IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. ALL RIGHTS GO TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.**

**And, yes, I will be including characters from all of those, and maybe more if you suggest them. When I include more characters, I will add on to the list. For now, it applies to the rest of the story unless stated otherwise.**

**Now, announcement time! I have made a Tumblr blog for this. I only have access to it through the mobile app though, so it has not been customized. I'm fairly new to the fanfiction side of Tumblr, so I don't know if there's any specific format or anything. If any of you know anything about it, the help is appreciated. There will be some pictures, maybe fanart if I build up enough motivation and confidence to do it, and other info/trivia about the story. There will also some commentary by me as I make my way through this journey, so to speak.**

**I go by the same name there, avatarfreak17 . tumblr . com**

**I also have a link to it at the _very_ bottom of my profile.**

**I've been thinking about posting chapters early there, but I've decided to just do whatever until I have a schedule set up. Speaking of which, I have a poll set up on my profile just for that.**

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**Hiccstrid VS Merricup, so far:**

**Hiccstrid and Merricup are tied with two votes each!**

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**Review Replies:**

**Shameless Girl****: I've sent a PM to you, but haven't gotten a response. I have a few questions about your OC that will need to be answered if you want her included.**

**Guest**: **I suppose I wasn't clear enough, oops. Jack is a newcomer - like I said before, after the school's one year anniversary, three new students will arrive monthly. Elsa is one of the 'Originals', while Jack, Norman, and Coraline are the first newcomers. The prologue was showing the Orginals' arrival to the school. The actual story starts off with Jack's arrival. As you can see, this part of the chapter doesn't have any interactions between Jack and Elsa, but the next two parts of the chapter will.**

**And to everyone else, thank you so much for reviewing, I'm so glad I'm getting a good response to this!**


	4. I - Part II

_._._._

**Chapter One - Part Two**

_._._._

**Jack**

I watch them run. They race across the lawn, quickly dissapearing in the thick trees. I wait for them to run back, but they don't.

I look back up at the windows, and see a tall boy wearing an old-fashioned suit and top hat. I want to laugh, but he seems to notice me staring and glares, daring me to even try.

The front door opens again, and the girl who was shoved comes out.

"You must be Jackson Overland," she says. "Norman and Coraline are already inside," she gestures towards the door. I had completely forgotten about the two.

"The name's Jack. Yours?" I ask, sticking my hand out to shake. She seems reluctant to, but mutters something to herself before taking a deep breath and taking it, her sleeve covering her hand. I'm not sure if I should laugh or be insulted.

"I'm Elsa Solberg. I do the new-student orientations." She smiles again. Her pale blond hair is flawlessly wound in a tight bun, her makeup perfect, and like the other girls, she's chosen to wear the skirt. I can see teal gloves under the sleeves of her sweater. She looks like she could be going to a dinner party.

I glance down at the envelopes in his hand. "So you're the Elsa I'm supposed to give these to?"

"Yep," she takes them from me. "Your school records."

There's an awkward silence.

"What's up with them?" I finally ask, talking about the runner girls. I look behind me, but they haven't returned.

Elsa's eyebrows knit together. There's a moment of silence between us, and I can tell she's trying to come up with an answer. "I think they're just running," she finally says. "I couldn't really say why."

She links her arm with mine and begins to lead me down the hallways, Norman and Coraline trailing behind us. She smells good – like vanilla.

I look around, amazed. The interior doesn't match the exterior, at all. It's all modern; you wouldn't think you were in a castle if you hadn't seen the outside for yourself. The walls are painted in steel blue and charcoal grey – clearly because of the school's colours. The designers seem to have thought ahead and all the corners are rounded. The floors, furniture, and decorations, however, are all white, an unwise decision when there are kids involved. Somehow, they all still remain unstained. Jack notices golden suns about the size of his hand painted here and there. It seems a student was trying to bring some warm colours into the mix.

My mind snaps back to reality, and I ask, "Who are Bunny and Flynn?"

Her shoulders tense, but she tries to relax herself once more. "What do you mean?"

Elsa is not good at lying.

"Bunny and Flynn," I repeat. "The runner girl said not to listen to them."

Elsa stops and puts her hands on her hips, turning towards me. A small, regal smile makes its way onto her face, and her laugh almost sounds real. Almost. "Well, that's about what I would expect from the two of them. Jackson-"

"It's Jack, not Jackson," I interrupt, and she sighs before continuing.

"_Jack_, I think you'll find that this school has troublemakers, just like any other school. They're trying to scare you. I mean, what do you expect from two people who are so blatantly breaking the rules?"

I begin to walk again and nod slowly. Her answer makes sense. What kind of name is Bunny, anyway?

_Wait a minute_.

"'Breaking the rules'?" I ask, looking back at the main entrance. "How are they breaking the rules?"

Elsa opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. My stomach drops as she stammers; whatever's going on doesn't seem right.

"No one is supposed to talk to new students before they've had orientation," she says quickly. "It's just one of the rules."

I stand in front of her and stare. She doesn't seem to believe what she's saying herself. "That doesn't make any sense. You're not really Elsa, are you?"

Her smile appears once more. "No, I'm definitely Elsa, and I'm definitely here to help you guys with orientation. That's my job."

"Your job?"

"We all have jobs here," she says. "We do our part to help out, because we all rely on each other. We're in this school so far away from everyone else – it's like our own little society."

"So I'll have a job?" There was nothing on the website about that.

"Of course. We all have jobs."

"Can you take me to talk to the principal?" The school website had mentioned student leadership opportunities, but I'm sick of having the student body president – or whatever Elsa is – give me a pep talk.

"Well," she begins, and I suppress the urge to groan. "Why don't we go to my office and do the orientation first. I'm sure that will answer some of your questions."

"Listen, I know how a school works. Can we just go to the principal and do the real stuff?"

"The orientation _is_ the real stuff." Elsa says. She continues walking, beckoning me, but I stay in my spot.

"I want to see the principal first."

Her face bursts into a smile, which is as fake as it is big. "You are so decisive, I think that's terrific." She starts walking again, stopping a few doors down, and she opens it.

"What?" I walk towards her. She's adamant on me having that orientation, it almost seems like she's trying to keep me _away_ from the principal.

"I'm just saying we could use someone like you at our school," She looks behind us. "And I'm sure we could use kids like Norman and Coraline, too." I had forgotten about the two, again. They're both giving us looks and keeping their distance, and I find myself laughing.

"How old are you, Elsa?" I ask as I turn to her.

"Sixteen, almost seventeen," She answers. "My birthday's at the end of September."

Her smile is plastered on her face like a tour guide. That's what she is: a tour guide, all smiles and scripts.

"No offense, but can you tell me where the real Elsa is?"

"What do you mean?" She lets her hand slip off the door, and it swings shut.

"I _mean_ I don't believe a word you said."

"I'm the real Elsa," she says, concern growing in her eyes.

"You're not, and you're not even a good liar. You said that your birthday is coming up at the end of September. It's October 3rd."

She opens her mouth, but doesn't say anything.

"So," I continue, "enough of the crap." I grab the door handle, but it's locked.

"I am Elsa," she says, folding her arms across her chest, her shoulders tense.

"Why's the door locked?"

"I am Elsa," she repeats.

"I don't care," I say. "I want to see the principal."

She turns to look at me, her eyes fierce. "I am Elsa Solberg. And I am telling the truth."

"I don't care who you are. I want to see the principal."

Her smile disappears, replaced by a grim stare. "We don't have one."

She must anticipate my confusion, and continues before I can even register this new information.

"We don't have a principal," she says. "We don't have teachers, and we don't have counselors. That's why I do the orientations."

"There's no – I mean, you don't have…"

She tries to put her smile back on, but it's weak and forced. "This school is different from other schools."

"So who teaches the classes?"

"We do," she says. "The students. We get lesson plans."

"I don't believe it," I shake my head. "That doesn't explain your birthday. Why did you lie about that?"

Her shoulders relax visibly, and she doesn't seem to have a problem answering this question. "It's not a lie. I know it seems weird, and it'll be easier to understand when we go through the full orientation. But…" She pauses, thinking over her words. "We don't have any calendars."

"You're kidding." I almost laugh at the ridiculous situation.

"I most certainly am not."

"Can't you just look on your computers or something? Don't tell me you don't have computers."

"We _do_ have computers. In fact, you get your very own laptop. Unfortunatly, they don't have the date on them."

"But can't you just email someone? Get on the internet?"

Her eyebrows furrow. "Our computers don't get on the internet."

"Well, didn't your family call you on your birthday?"

"No phones, either."

"Let me get this straight. There are no adults in the school. And we can't talk to anyone on the outside."

She nods her head in embarrassed agreement.

I gesture towards the front of the school. "She said we can't get out of here. Is that true, too?"

She hesitates before answering, "Yes."

This could all still be a joke. It had to be a joke.

"Why did my grandpa send me here? I shouldn't have agreed to this." I groan in frustration, my fingers combing through my white hair.

"That depends on how you look at it," she says. Her voice is warm and happy, yet detached and distant, like she isn't really directing her words at me. Another script. "There are some great people at this school. We learn a lot of interesting things, and it can really be a lot of fun."

_I bet_.

"What's the point of this place, then? Is it for screwed-up kids?"

Elsa laughs. "No, it's just a school. We go to class and have dances and play sports." She gives me a mischievous grin. "You're not screwed up, are you?"

I step away from her, my confusion quickly turning into anger. "Why are you calm about this? How long has it been since anyone here has talked to anyone-" I gesture vaguely at the world beyond the forest. "Out there?"

Elsa stares at the empty hallway. "I've been here for about a year," she says quietly. "I don't miss it. Like I said, things are good here."

"Do people graduate?"

"Not yet," Elsa says. "But I don't think anyone is old enough." She takes my arm again and turns me toward the door. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen." I plainly say. "Happy birthday, by the way. You're seventeen, too."

Elsa laughs and steps towards the door. It unlocks with a buzz, and she pulls it open. "I like you, Jack. You'll do well here."

_._._._

**A/N: So I've just come back from trying to deal with the Tumblr mobile app. I am in a foul mood and need sleep and there will likely be swearing ahead. Or not. I just want to get this posted.**

**I am not happy with this. It's still pretty close to the original, but fuck it. This is fanfiction. There's worse stuff out there and I'm not claiming this as my own, so _woo_! This only has a few of my own words. I thik it's just the description of the inside of the school.**

**I haven't finished writing the next part, so it may not be for a little while, what with the actual writing, the proofreading, and basically a rewrite as I try to come up with something that is my own work.**

**And I'm sorry if Norman and Coraline seem like they're there for the sake of being there right now, but I _did_ list Norman as a main character, didn't I?**

**Oh, and apparently I can't fucking count. I said there are 25 Originals, but now I only count 23 (I think. I can't remember exactly. The point is is that it's not fucking 25) and I said before that Norman can see a few ghosts (I did say that in his character thing, right?), so I'm changing it to... 33. This is subject to change seeing as I'm pissed off and half-asleep. Which is strange actually seeing as I've actually been getting sleep with winter break. I think I slept in 'till 12:40 today... It's only 12:25 right now...**

**Anyways, I got more voters for Hiccstrid VS Merricup, but I'm kinda suspicious since I got like 5 from guests in a _very_ short period of time. I got one more vote for Merricup now. Because of this, those 4 (I just checked) Hiccstrid votes are only going to count as one. I'm sorry if those _were_ other voters, but I don't think it would be fair for someone to be able to anonymously vote and thus be able to vote multiple times. I honestly thought people wouldn't do this, but it seems they have. To solve the problem, I have just made a poll and it's up on my profile. I won't be accepting votes via reviews anymore. It's _not_ an either/or thing, I've added other options as well. The previous votes will still count.**

**If you want my personal opinion, I prefer Hiccstrid over Merricup. Mainly because I think Merida would be independant and not be interested in dating, in her teen years at least.**

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**Hiccstrid VS Merricup**

**Both tied with 3. I think. I know they're tied...**

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**And when a chapter is posted in parts, I will include the statistics in the last part.**


	5. I - Part III

**Chapter One - Part Three**

_._._._

**Jack**

_._._._

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**Statistics, According to Microsoft Word:**

**Words: 5,873**  
**Passive Sentences: 4%**  
**Flesch Reading Ease: 88.8**  
**Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 3.2**  
**Microsoft Word Pages: ~15**

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"We do the orientations by grade, so you'll have to hang out in the hallway for a few minutes." Elsa says, holding the door open for Norman and Coraline. I nod, though I don't understand why I can't join them. Must be some sort of age-specific thing.

For the first time I notice the murals covering both walls of the hallway. On the western wall, there are warm colours, with a tower in the centre, and what looks a girl with long golden hair looking up at the sky. Abstract patterns decorate the mural, and, upon closer inspection, I notice the sun pattern hidden everywhere in the mural. I think it's safe to assume this is the work of the same person who painted the suns in the hallways.

I don't notice how long I spend looking at the mural, and before I know it the door opens and Elsa, Norman, and Coraline come walking out.

"I'm just going to bring them to their rooms, you can wait in my office if you'd like," She offers, but I shake my head, wanting to examine the murals further. She apologizes for the wait and hurries off.

I turn towards the eastern wall, which has Elsa's office just on the other side. A magnificent ice palace on a mountain is the main focus. Beautiful snowflakes are everywhere, and various pictures of two children playing in the snow are in the corners. I can see a small, blue figure with their hands widely spread above their head on the balcony of the ice palace, and ice seems to be flowing from their fingertips. The figure is too small to see any details, though, but I can tell they have blonde hair.

I think about the school, and though it doesn't seem like the best school ever, I decided to give it, and the students, a chance. I decide to make the most of it.

Soon, Elsa comes back muttering a few more apologies as she opens her office door. We both enter, and I can't say I'm surprised of what I see.

There isn't a thing out of place, a simple, white desk is stainless, the papers on it in perfect order. A small laptop is centred on the desk, still shiny, as if it just came out of the box. Next to it is a box, the only thing that _might _be out of place. There's a grey couch in front of the desk. A bookshelf to the left seems to be organized in alphabetical order. A filing cabinet is tucked in the corner, and I don't even want to _think_ about how organized it must be.

She seems to notice my amazement, and her cheeks turn rosy with embarrassment.

"Well, you sure are… organized." I say, but she remains quiet. "So what were the rules the runners broke? The real rules."

"No is supposed to talk to the new students. Like I said, it makes more sense if I can explain what the school is like in a prepared presentation."

_Right._

"It's also against the rules to chase after the car."

"Who are 'they'?"

She sits in her white office chair. I follow her lead and sit in the leather couch in front of the desk. Rummaging through a drawer, she pulls out a steel blue, three-ring binder with my name already written on its spine, and when she looks back at me she smirks. "Ah, that's the real question, isn't it?"

She's starting to drive me crazy. Or maybe _she_ is crazy. "And what's the answer?"

She shrugs, clasping her hands together on the desk and looks me straight in the eyes. "They're the D. W. D. Academy. The woman who drove you in and the corporate office."

"You don't know? Don't you want to?"

Elsa rolls her eyes. "Of course I want to know. But I _don't_ know, so I'm trying to make the most of it."

She picks up the binder and gets up from her seat, making sure to push her chair in _just_ the right position. She walks around the desk and sits next to me on the couch, crossing her legs and smoothing out her skirt.

"Here's the deal, Jack." She says in a serious tone, losing her tour guide façade. "There are some people, like Anna and Eep out there, who go running into the woods every chance they get. They go stand at the wall and talk about trying to climb over it and get away. They complain about every little thing."

"But they have _nothing_ to complain about, right?"

She only gives a half smile in response. "Right now, the only thing we can do is play along. Just try and lay low for awhile. People like Anna and Eep have decided otherwise. People like Anna and Eep are the ones who get no good outcome out of what they do." I want to protest, but I can see where she's coming at. Laying low seems like the best option, but that doesn't mean I won't have a little fun along the way. I small smirk gradually makes its way on my face.

Elsa places her hands over the binder. "This is your manual for all things related to D. W. D. Academy. It has the rules, a map of the grounds, and a list of services. Everything you'll need." She pauses. "Now, listen. We need to go over a couple of the bigger rules, and then I'll take you up to your dorm."

I don't particularly want to go to my dorm. I need a moment alone to mull this over.

"Jack?" Elsa points at the manual.

I open the binder, preparing myself for the worst. The front page has a black-and-white photocopy of the school's coat of arms. It's barely visible on the paper, and looks like a photocopy of a photocopy. It looked far more regal on the website.

"Are the rules as stupid as everything else?" I ask, half serious, half joking.

She chuckles. "They're not stupid at all. Very basic stuff."

I wonder what her definition of 'basic' is, but I nod anyways. She certainly has a screwed-up version of normal.

"There are lots of rules, you can look them up in your book any time, but there are four big ones. First of all, no sex. It's the first thing students think of when they find out that there are no adults here. But, there are these." She points to a security camera in the corner. I'm surprised I never noticed them until now. She avoids my eyes, and I can tell she's uncomfortable talking about the cameras.

"They're in every room, every hallway. That's how they know if you've broken a rule, and if you break a big one, you get detention."

"What's detention?" I ask. It doesn't seem nearly as bad as she makes it out to be.

She looks down at her gloved hands. "Detention is bad enough that you don't want to end up there."

"Well… What does that mean?" I ask.

Elsa stammers for a moment or two, refusing to look anywhere but her hands.

"What is detention?" I ask again, speaking slowly.

She sighs, and looks up at me momentarily, looking just a little bit to my left as she speaks. "In the first six months or so, they let us off easy. No one got detention, and the school didn't seem so bad. Then, after those six months, people started getting detention. There was only four, all at different times. None have come back."

"What? Do they get sent home or something?"

"I'm sure they don't."

"Do you have any idea what happens?"

"The students have theories." She whispers, and suddenly she has a mixture between fear and sadness in her eyes.

There's a heavy silence.

"Well, that's the first rule. What are the other three?" I finally say.

She seems to snap out of it, and says, "No trying to escape," She crosses her arms, leaning back against the couch, and trying to seem relaxed, but I can still see that her shoulders are tense. "No refusing punishments. And no violent fights."

I laugh. "Violent fights? What other kinds of fights are there? Gentle fights?"

She softly laughs with me. "Yeah, that rule is weird. Fights are rarely punished, but if they are there usually minor."

"So how do you know if the fighting's minor or not?"

"You don't," She gets up, slowly walking backwards towards her desk while talking. "It's probably best to avoid fighting altogether." She pulls out a bracelet and a watch from the box on her desk. The bracelet is simple, silver metal with a small space to carve something in it, reminding me of those medical alert bracelets. The watch looks expensive; it's one of those ones you'd find in the jewelry section of a store.

"What are those for?"

"You get to choose a bracelet or a watch. Be careful, though. They don't come off." She explains, sort of.

"Yeah, but what is it for? Why don't they come off?"

"Oh," She says. "Sorry." Elsa walks towards the door and reaches for the handle, it unlocks with a buzz and click, just like before. She walks back to her desk, handing the bracelet and watch to me.

"It's the chip," She sits back down next to me. "It will give you access to your dorm and to any places that you're contracted to work. The door can sense your chip, and it unlocks."

I'm trapped in this school, and I have to wear a chip?

"What if I refuse?" I say, just a tad cheeky about it.

She gives a small smile and cocks her head at me. "What if I say please?"

Suddenly, I explode, and I get up from my seat, pacing across the room. I begin ranting about how stupid all of this is. How we're prisoners in this school. How Elsa doesn't seem to mind. I even yell at her a bit, but she takes it with the grace of a queen. She only watches and listens, patiently waiting. I try the knob, but it had locked again after she moved away. I'm even a prisoner in this room.

I smack the door with my open palm, and turn back to glare at her. She's standing now, only a few feet away.

"Can we sit down?" She seems genuine and concerned.

She's talking about the couch, but instead I sit on the floor, my back to the wall. She sits next to me, our shoulders almost touching.

"Like I said before, our best bet is to follow the rules. Our only other option is detention. There's no way to escape from here. People have tried, and they're lucky they didn't get detention." She holds onto her left wrist, and I assume that's where her bracelet or watch is.

I reach for her hand, pulling her sleeve back and yanking her glove off. She's frozen with shock as I roughly yank her up from the floor, and I shove her against the door, my hands angrily pinning her arms back against the wood. Her eyes are wide with fear, and she takes quick, short breaths.

There is no sound, and I stare at the still-locked door.

Elsa's words are barely audible. "They watch on those cameras," she whispers, her face only inches from mine. Our chests are pressed together, and I don't know if it's my pounding heart or her's that I feel. "You can only get out with your chip."

I'm sure my eyes are filled with panic as I stare back at her. There's no way I'm getting out of here on my own. I'm trapped. Helpless.

She tries to smile. "It's okay…" She trails off as she tries to find something reassuring to say. She's just as freaked out as I am.

I let go of her, and relief floods over her face. She ducks under my arms and retrieves her glove, her back to me, taking deep breaths as she puts it back on.

After a few minutes, I speak. "Okay."

"You'll wear it then?" Her voice is lightened, but her back is still to me.

"I guess I have no choice."

She turns, a small smile on her face. "Which do you want?" She walks back to the couch, where I had left the bracelet and the watch.

"The watch, I guess."

"That's what most people choose, once they find out that we don't have calendars. It helps a little, y'know?" She walks towards me with the watch, quickly snapping it on my wrist, but making sure it's secure, and manages to avoid as much contact with me as possible. I can't blame her, after what I did. "You'll be pleased to know that it's built for nature. It has a long-lasting battery and is waterproof. You could bring a hammer to it and it wouldn't break. It will let you in to all the places you need to go – your dorm, your classroom, any place you have the contract for."

"What contract?" I ask. I think she's mentioned it before, though she didn't explain.

"Oh, yes. That's not exactly a rule, but here's the ten-second version of how the contracts work. There are a lot of jobs that need to be done around here. There are no adults, which means there are no janitors or gardeners or even teachers. So, every week, hobs are posted and we bid to see who does what."

"We bid with what? Money?"

"Points," She says, sitting on the couch and gesturing for me to sit as well. "We bid how many points we're willing to do the job for, and then they give the contract to the lowest bidder. When you get paid, you can use the points to get clothes or food or whatever. I think that some of the guys in the dorms even bought some video games."

"Does everyone have to have a job?" I had no intention of doing any more work than I had to at this school.

"Sort of," She gives a fake smile. "Things are different than they used to be. Better – way better. For a while, it was every man for himself. But everyone got angry, and no one was satisfied because the good jobs would get down to one point, and you can't come close to buying anything with one point. So, people started getting together and bidding as a group. For example, all of my friends and I bid on the administration jobs. That worked a little better, because I wasn't competing with my friends, but we were still competing with everyone else."

"People want the jobs that bad?"

"Sure," she laughs. "You can get some fun things, and we're kinda stuck here, so every bit of fun helps. Anyway, my group got bigger and we started making deals with others – we won't bid on janitorial jobs if you don't bid on administration jobs. That kind of thing."

"So, like a union."

"I guess," Elsa says. "I don't know much about unions. But in the last five months or so we've been pretty formalized. All the jobs are split up between three groups now. We don't bid on each other's stuff, and that means we get lots of points."

"I'll probably have to join one of those three groups, right?"

"Yep," She says. "Unfortunately, there's a new rule and I'm not allowed to tell you which group I'm in. But, like I said, my group has the administration contracts. You can ask around. It'd be great if you joined up." She's smiling warmly, and I can't tell what her motives are.

I lean back on the couch, my legs sore from traveling all day. I begin thinking of an escape, but push the thoughts away. There's a reason Grandpa Nick sent me here, and I've already promised myself to try and make the most of it.

"Any more rules?" I finally ask.

She shrugs. "Don't be tardy. Wear your uniform during class and meals. No drugs or alcohol, not that you could get them in here. Don't destroy property. You know – common sense stuff. There's a full list in your manual."

Elsa stands up, and there's a mixture of disappointment, worry, and sadness in her eyes. Did I do something wrong?

"Do you want to see your dorm?" She asks, already walking towards the door, which opens with a buzz. She holds the door open, giving me little options.

"Sure." I shrug, and we both leave the room. She checks to make sure the door is closed before she faces me.

"If you need anything, you can always talk to me." She points at a small call button next to her door. "If I'm not here, this will page me. It's part of my contract."

I nod, and we're on our way.

We pass a few abstract, black-and-white paintings on the walls, with splashes of brightly coloured paint splattered at random. There are small, white tables placed here and there with the exact same steel blue sculpture. It seems someone has gotten creative and used the sculptures as vases, each flower well taken care of. One table is missing the sculpture, and instead there is an old boot filled with dirt and the beginnings of a plant, it seems to have been tossed around many times. Whoever this person is, they're hell-bent on brightening up this place.

We climb the stairs, and quickly pass through several more corridors. The school is much larger than I originally thought. It wouldn't have a problem with students from grade six to grade twelve.

I suddenly realize that there are no students in the halls.

"Where-" Elsa seems to read my mind and interrupts.

"We don't want them to overwhelm new students, so they have to stay in their dorms." She says, her eyes forward, and it seems as though she's rehearsed this.

"So they're locked in their dorms, locked in the building, locked in the wall, locked in the fence."

She laughs. "Jack, I get the feeling you're not happy." She says.

"Well, no. Is anyone here happy about this? We're trapped. But I'm going to try to make the most of this." I answer.

"I'm happy to hear that then. But, yes, they're all in the dorms. Well, most of them. The group that has the cafeteria jobs will be down there making dinner. You can thank your lucky stars for that."

"Why?"

"When you get into the dorms, everyone is going to ask you to join their group. You don't want to join that one."

I laugh. "I assume that's not yours, then?"

"Ugh, no."

We turn a corner and are met with two large, white double doors.

"Here we are," Elsa says, gesturing to the doors on the right. I hear a buzz. Elsa points to the ceiling, and I see a round black device. "It sensed your chip. These doors will only open for the boys after curfew. Anyone can go in either dorm before then, unless you've been banned. The buzz means it's unlocked. You'll be in room two twenty-one."

I reach for the knob, but she grabs my wrist with her gloved hand.

"Jack," she says, her voice low. She looks up into my eyes. "I'm serious. Follow the rules."

Elsa pauses like she wants to say more, but turns on her heel and hurries into the girls' dorm.

I open the door and go inside.

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**A/N: Hello there! As usual, thanks for reading! I meant to post this hours ago, but I kinda got distracted and eventually ended up writing a little bit of the next chapter. Which is a good thing, sort of. Anyways, the point is that it's past midnight, I got little sleep last night, and so I'm half-asleep, which means I want to get this over with but I'll probably add another thousand to the word count. I'm sorry if Jack and Elsa's behaviour seems weird, the characters in the book are a little different and I tried to change things around to match but still have certain things said and done, so they may seem a little this, a little that.**

**So, next chapter Jack meets the rest of the school and things get... interesting. I'll leave it up to you to interpret that.**

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**Hiccstrid VS Merricup**

**Merricup is in the lead!**

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**A reviewer has mentioned how swearing makes them uncomfortable. I'd like to note that this will have some mild swearing, and sometimes I can't control my typing. If it gets _really_ bad in a chapter, I'll post a warning at the top, though I doubt I'll need to do that. This writer doesn't actually swear in real life! My mind is another matter.**

**I'd like to note that there will be NO EXEPTIONS on the voting matter. If you want a ship that badly, make an account and vote on my profile page. I'm sorry, but this is my only way of knowing if someone's voted only once.**

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**I apologize for any formatting inconsistencies. I'm still trying to get it _just_ right. I don't know if it bothers you, but it bothers me. I'll fix those later.**

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**Hehe... I seem to like saying 'I'd like to note',**

**Okay, I'll sleep now.**

**Good night/morning/whatever time it is where you are!**


	6. II

**Statistics, According to Microsoft Word:**

**Words: 2513  
Passive Sentences: 1%  
Flesch Reading Ease: 88.3  
Flesch - Kincaid Grade Level: 3.2**

**Microsoft Word pages: 6~**

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**Chapter Two**

**_._._._**

**Jack**

**_._._._**

A small group of boys, and some girls, are on the other side of the door, which opens up to a common room. Some are chatting amongst themselves, others are just sitting, waiting –presumably for me. Everyone's heads turn when I open the door, and they pop to their feet. I see Norman in the back of the crowd, standing with one of the runner girls and the sandy-haired boy from earlier.

Everyone is shaking my hand and greeting me, suddenly. A boy with messy, brown hair who looks about fifteen years old, a nervous smile on his face. Another girl – the only other one in the room – with her blonde hair in a single braid, a brown leather headband around her head, and long bangs swept to the side – she has an air of authority. And finally, the boy with the top hat who gives a firm nod with an expressionless face, his arms crossed. He uncrosses his arms, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Jack," He greets, with an Australian accent. "It's good to finally meet you. Your orientation took far longer than Norman's." He comments. Did it? I hadn't kept track of the time, but it didn't feel that long to me. Then again, I'm sure I was a lot more… troubling than Norman and Coraline.

There's a shout from down the hall, and the guy leads me to a room. There's another boy already in the room, and the blonde girl follows us inside. They both stand next to the door.

"It's quieter in here." He explains. "We can talk."

The room has a bunk bed, two desks, and a small sink and mirror. There are no sheets or pillows on the bed; it looks like no one occupies this room. He offers one of the desk chairs to me, and we both sit.

"The name's Bunnymund, but you can call me Bunny," He says.

The girl who ran after Eve's car – either Anna or Eep, according to Elsa – said not to listen to Bunny. I have no reason to trust them, other than the fact that they tried to run, which means they're heads are screwed on just a little straighter than everyone else.

"Elsa told you about the gangs?"

_Gangs?_ The only thing I know about gangs is what's in the movies. These guys don't look the least bit threatening – though Bunny is a little intimidating. They're all clean-shaven, and their clothes are wrinkle-free.

"She told me a little about different groups, though she didn't call them gangs." I answer.

"They are gangs. They're dangerous and irresponsible. You'll find, Jack that there are a lot of kids who take this school as a free pass to do whatever they want. They love that there are no adults around here and think they can behave however they want."

"Sounds terrible," I say sarcastically.

"Here at the academy, we have a choice of how we want to live. We can be violent and cause trouble, or we can be civilized. You can bring order, or disorder."

There's a loud shout from the hallway, and Bunny motions for the other boy to close the door.

Bunny and the other two seem tense, like they're waiting for something. Maybe for me to join them.

"So," I start. "Let me get this straight. You're the nice gang? You follow the rules, just like what Elsa was talking about. Is Elsa one of you?" I ask.

"Yes, Elsa is one of us. But we're not a gang. We're not like the others, that's my point. They do nothing but fight and wallow. We recognize that there are problems here, but we have made a decision. We can be miserable and get ourselves killed, or we can thrive. We have chosen to thrive. We're not a gang. We're the Society."

I laugh. "Society? Isn't that just a fancy name for a gang?"

"We don't behave like a gang," He says. "We respect one another. We care for each other. We-"

He's interrupted by a loud crash on the other side of the door. The boy and girl straighten up and brace it. I hear muffled voices on the other side of the door.

"Listen," Bunny says urgently. "You can join us and be safe, we're the largest group, and no one dares to cause problems with us."

Judging by the pounding on the door, I doubt it's true.

"If you want to be happy, you also want to be with us. We don't get punished like the others, because we hold a strict code of conduct. We live right, and we do right."

"Don't you want to escape?"

"Nothing good ever comes from trying to escape. No one escapes, and those who try get punished."

"But look at you," I say. "You're obviously older than eighteen. You should be out of school by now."

"I'll wait here as long as it takes." He says simply, the slightest bit of annoyance in his voice. He grabs my shoulder. "We want you, Jack. We're the largest group, and we have the most contracts. We do security, medical, administration, teaching-"

"Students do security?"

"We do, as directed by the school." His eyes are on the door, and not a second later it bursts open.

A kid nonchalantly walks in, followed by another boy who looks remarkably similar, and a girl with wild, red hair. He's of average height and skinny, and has chocolate brown hair and eyes. He has a goatee, and I wonder just how old he is. He wears tan trousers, brown leather boots, and a white shirt with a denim vest. He looks like he just popped out of a fairytale.

"I bet Bunny told you that you need to play nice, follow the rules. Didn't he?"

I try to stay calm, but can feel my muscles tense. Even though this new kid is obviously trying to get me to join his gang, he looks ready for a fight.

"We're Havoc," he says, staring me down. "We take care of our own." He takes a step back.

I speak, keeping my voice even. I don't want to make him mad, but I don't want to look weak either. "All the gangs take care of their own."

He raises an eyebrow and laughs. "Do they?" He puts out his hand, and I warily shake it. "My name's Flynn Rider," He introduces himself. "Leader of Havoc." The girl clears her throat pointedly. "Ahem, sorry, _co_-leader of Havoc."

He steps closer, his voice quiet. "Here's the thing, kid. You have a choice. We point the gun. You choose if you want to be standing in front of it or behind."

I take a breath. "I don't know who you think you are," I say quietly, watching Flynn's eyes. "But I've been pushed around by tougher guys than you – and I've pushed back."

He takes another step towards me.

"Back off," I say.

"Oh, so you're gonna join Bunny, huh?" He asks. "I'm sure you'll be a _wonderful_ pair."

"No, I'm not going to join Bunny, and I'm not going to join _you_."

He raises his hands, and it seems like he's about to shove me before a girl steps in. She's the runner girl.

"Hey! That isn't any way to get someone to join your gang, now is it? He said he doesn't want to join Havoc or the Society," She says, a stern look on her face, but I can tell she's just the slightest bit nervous. "That means he's in the V's." She looks at me. "Isn't that right?"

"Sure," I say, though I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into here. Though I'm sure it's better than joining Havoc or the Society.

"Then let's get out of here."

We make our way into the hallway, but Flynn follows.

"Better watch out, Frosty."

"Run along, now." The girl shoos him off, a fake smile plastered on her face.

We walk down the long hallway, quickly entering another room. Norman and the sandy-haired boy are there.

"I'm Anna. The V's don't exactly have a leader, but I'm the closest thing to one. This here is Sandy. He's just about the friendliest guy I know, and you can go to him or his roommate, Hiccup, for help." She gestures towards the sandy-haired boy – I'm not sure if it's a nickname or his parents thought it would be funny – who smiles and waves. "He's mute, though, but he doesn't let that stop him!" Anna says cheerfully. "Most of the kids here don't know any sign language, so he has a little text-to-speech device to communicate."

"Hello," An automated voice comes from a device Sandy's holding, I hadn't noticed it before. He types quickly with one hand, the other supporting the device. "Do you know any sign language?"

"Actually, yes. One of my friends back home, Jamie, is deaf." Sandy has a grin on his face as I say it. I smile, but it fades quickly. I won't be seeing Jamie any time soon, if ever.

"Oh, that's great, then!" Anna exclaims, a bright smile on her face. "We've tried teaching the other kids a little bit of sign language, but some just aren't catching on. Anyways, Sandy will help you with your dorms and everything from here. I should be heading back to the girls dorm. It's been great meeting you guys!" She says, giving a small nod before leaving the room.

"So, I guess that means we should be going to our dorms, then." I say.

"This is supposed to be your dorm, but we're moving you to the V's side." Sandy explains with his device, I'm guessing for Norman's benefit. "The dorms aren't officially split up, but the gangs tend to group together. Both of you will be sharing a room, and it will be across the hall from me."

Norman and I nod, and Sandy leads the way. We come to an intersection, and I have no problem guessing which way leads to the Society and Havoc. To the left, everything is neat and tidy, polished nameplates on a few doors. To the right, it's chaos. There's some graffiti on one wall, and loose papers and dirty clothes are on the floor. Christmas tree lights are hanging sloppily from the ceiling.

We continue going straight, where everything seems ordinary, and take the first right, and then the next two lefts. We reach the end of the hallway, which has a window that faces the side of the school. A small boy with shaggy brown hair is standing in front of the last door on the left, waiting for us. He's the same boy from earlier, greeting me like the others.

"I'm assuming you're Hiccup?" I ask.

"Yep. Hiccup." He doesn't seem to like the name. "Don't ask about it, okay?" I nod. "I should have taken that opportunity…" I hear him mutter.

"What opportunity?" I ask, before realizing he probably hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"Well, a lot of the kids here took advantage of the fact that we're all alone here to create new identities for themselves. You'll encounter quite a few kids who don't go by their real name, like Bunny. I probably should have taken that opportunity instead of using my real name. So, is there any name you would like to give yourself, Jack?" He asks.

We enter the room, similar to the others, though it's bigger and has a little more furniture. I pause for a moment, trying to think of a new name for myself.

"I… don't know. Any ideas?" I ask, directing my question to everyone.

There's a silence.

"Well, do you have any nicknames?" Hiccup asks.

"Jack _is_ my nickname." I point out.

"No, I mean something other than that. I'm sure someone has said something about that hair of yours. Why is it like that anyway?"

"Oh, I, uh, dyed it. My sister and I kind of have this obsession with winter and ice skating. I lost a bet, and she wanted my hair to look like… frost." I tell them the lie Grandpa Nick came up with, but trail off at the end.

"So, you want to be called Frost, then?" Hiccup asks.

"No, that doesn't sound right… Something else…"

"How about Jack Frost," Norman, who's been quiet this whole time, suggests.

I laugh. "You're suggesting calling me Jack Frost? After a winter spirit who brings ice and snow?" I continue laughing, but then it hits me. "That's perfect!" I can feel it getting colder with my excitement, and I try to calm myself down. Luckily, no one notices.

Both Hiccup and Norman are laughing now, and Sandy has a wide grin on his face.

After a moment, I kick off my shoes and sit on a desk chair. There's a small nook that seems to be a reading area across from the door, a closet in the corner and an empty bookshelf next to it, with two armchairs and a warm light above them. Next to the nook is the bunk bed, with sheets, blankets, and pillows already set up. There are two windows, with about five feet of empty space between them. Beside the door, there are two desks, with a sink and mirror separating them.

"I call top bunk!" I yell, tossing my bag up to it and quickly climbing up the ladder, feeling like an eight year old rather than a seventeen year old.

Norman doesn't seem to mind and puts his bag on his bed, sitting down on it quietly. Hiccup laughs at my childish behaviour, sitting on the closest desk chair. Sandy closes the door and moves the other chair on the side of the desk, so he can type and look at us at the same time.

"Do you have any questions?" His device asks.

"What does the V stand for?" Norman asks. I didn't even think of that before now.

"It stands for Variant." Hiccup says.

It's quiet for a moment before I ask "So, what is this place?"

"Who knows?" Hiccup says. "Everyone's been here for a year now, and nobody really knows."

"I think they're testing us, like an experiment." Sandy shares.

"That's what a lot of people think. Others think they're training us for something, and a few think this really is a prison."

"And what do you think?" I ask.

"I agree with Sandy. Sometimes they do weird things, they seem random. I think they're trying to see how we react to it. Any more questions?"

Norman and I shake our heads, and Sandy and Hiccup get up to leave. Before they do, Hiccup points to something in the reading nook. I lean out from the bunk bed and see what he's pointing at. There are two small laptops on the bookshelf, and above it there is a small screen with a schedule.

"The schedule changes daily, so watch out for that. It also acts as an alarm." He explains before they both walk out, Sandy waving.

And then it's quiet.

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**A/N: Okay, so I'm not the happiest with the length, but I don't want to keep you guys waiting too long, so...**

**So around here is when it will all be written by me. Some of this (But not as much as the first chapter, thankfully) is taken directly from the book, but my own words are in here, too! I hope the characters didn't seem OOC, particularly Flynn. In the actual book, there _is_ a fight, and the character is in a chokehold before the leader of the V's cuts in. I decided that that's not very Flynn-like and tried to work my way around it, but still wanted Anna to cut in. I hope it's not awful... I just wanted to point that out, because, well, the main character was in a chokehold, things were bloody, and it gets you wondering what exactly a _violent fight_ is. And I hope I brought up Sandy being mute in a respectful way!**

**Be sure to go to my user page and vote! It's at the top of the page, it only takes a few seconds!**

**And I'm not sure if I said it in the last chapter, but the Hiccstrid VS Merricup check-in's are only going to be occasionally now. If it's requested enough, I may do it for the next chapter, though.**

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**A guest asked if everyone has powers. The answer is no, but there is a reason why everyone is there. It's kinda sorta implied in Anna's character profile and her POV in the prologue.**

**Dontmindme**** (Guest): I agree with you all the way, all my ships (Except Jelsa. Jelsa is the outsider.) are canon, or were canon in the past (*cough* Makorra *cough*). **

**A guest's review only contained "hiccstrid" 90-ish times**** and... yeah. Can everyone just vote in the poll? **

**And to everyone else: Thank you so much!**

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	7. III - Part I (Unedited)

**A/N: I'm sorry if you get two emails for this, I deleted the Preview and was going to just put all the info in the Prologue but then I realized it was just too much and I'm about to try and fix that right now and hopefully you won't get two.**

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**Chapter Three - ****Part One**

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**Jack**

I've come to the conclusion that Norman isn't very talkative.

At six o'clock sharp, Anna came by with lasagne and breadsticks from the cafeteria, saying that it isn't a good idea to go down there until everyone cooled off. She hanged around for a few minutes, explaining a few things about the school Norman and I hadn't thought to ask Sandy and Hiccup about.

It turns out our closet has some sort of elevator. Anna explained that when we order things, they come up through the elevators, and anything that needs to be washed or repaired should also be put there. When we opened it, two sets of plain white pajamas were there, along with slippers, which I refused to wear.

When I asked her why we couldn't just escape through the elevator, she explained that they've already tried countless times. The cameras watch them, and the elevators never go down when you're inside. One kid, in Havoc, stayed in the closet for a day, but to no avail. They've tried covering the cameras as well, but it still wouldn't go down.

Anna also noted that our dorm would be next to one of the girls' rooms, and promised to find out whom, though Norman and I weren't particularly interested.

She chattered for a few minutes before leaving, reminding us to go to Sandy or Hiccup for help.

At quarter to eight, a small beep came from an invisible speaker, reminding everyone that curfew is in fifteen minutes and everyone should be in their dorms.

At eight o'clock, a louder beep sounded. Sandy came in, telling us where the bathrooms are and that everyone is supposed to be in bed at nine o'clock.

It's almost nine now, and Norman has barely spoken a word since we got here.

I don't mind much, it's only our first day, after all.

I'm sitting on my bed now, my head only two inches from the ceiling. As tired as I am, I can't sleep.

I make snowflakes, one at a time, for fear of losing control. I've been practicing for a month and a half now, but I still have troubles with it. Sometimes it goes haywire, and I can only hope it doesn't happen around other students. There's a part of me that wants to share this power with the world, but there's also a _tiny_ logical part of me that knows that it's too risky.

I can feel the wall become ice cold, and stop making snowflakes.

Wait.

I didn't cause that.

I press my hand against the wall, and I can sense ice coating it on the other side. It can't be my ice, can it? I thought I had it under my control…

One of three things can be happening right now. One: Jet lag is getting to me and I'm imagining things. Two: It's my ice and I'm freezing someone's room. Three: Someone – a girl, if Anna is correct – has powers like mine.

I know sleep will be near impossible now.

* * *

Somehow, I manage to sleep at midnight, and lucky for me the alarm doesn't go off until eight. The traveling still has me tired, though.

I groggily sit up, about to stretch when I realize the ceiling is only inches above me.

The alarm only gets louder as it goes on, and I almost shout at Norman to shut it off. I lean over the round, metal railing, wondering if my aim was good enough to throw something at the screen. Before I do, Norman gets up, almost zombie-like as he turns it off. The lights turn on the moment he touches the screen.

I jump off the bed, grinning as I land quietly. I rub the sleepiness out of my eyes, blindly walking towards the closet, which Norman has opened. The school uniform is hanging inside, two extra hangers on the rack, presumably for our pajamas. Two small notebooks and a transparent, plastic box holding four ballpoint pens are on the shelf. Our school supplies, I guess.

I let Norman change, and instead walk to the farthest window, checking to see if they're locked. As soon as my hand touches the glass, there's a soft click and it slides into the wall, almost like a car window.

I summon a small breeze, and the cool air refreshes me. Sticking my head out the window, I look to my left and see a window, only half a foot away from my head, wide open. Beyond that, I can just see the edges of a track and a playing field.

I walk over to the sink and splash my face with water, which is much too warm. Or maybe I'm just being nitpicky. There's a small hand towel folded on the edge of the sink, and I waste no time wiping the water off my face. I decide I'd rather brush my teeth in the comforts of my prison cell rather than a bathroom with ten thousand other guys. Besides, it's easier and safer to use my powers here instead of there. I refuse to deal with warm water.

I check to see that Norman's not looking, and swiftly use the wind to boost me up to my bed, grabbing my bag quickly before dropping to the floor with a thud, luckily landing on my feet. I'll have to work on that sometime.

"What was that?" Norman asks warily, now fully dressed in the school uniform.

"Oh, nothing. I was just grabbing my bag." I answer quickly.

"Why was there a loud thud? And did you feel that wind?" He asks, walking over to the window.

"Well, it _is_ pretty windy out today," I say, hoping he would buy it.

Norman sticks his head out the window, much like the way I had a minute ago. "There's not even a breeze out there." He comments.

I panic, and summon a strong gust of wind. Perhaps too strong. Norman falls back, almost hitting his head on the bed. At this rate, I'll be discovered in less than a week. Grandpa Nick would be ashamed.

"Are you okay, Norman?" I ask, helping him up and trying to cover my embarrassment.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He reassures me, brushing invisible dirt off his sleeves. "That was weird…" I hear him mutter.

He doesn't talk about the wind anymore, and I take that as my queue to get dressed.

Somehow, the uniform fits me perfectly, and I wonder how the school managed that. There's a pair of dress shoes on the shelf, and they look just about my size, too. I wonder if I really _have_ to wear the shoes. There are no adults here, and it's not a big rule, so I wouldn't get punished, right? After much internal debate, I reluctantly put them on, opting to stay on the safe side for at least my first day of classes.

I hang the pajamas on the rack, grabbing the plastic box before closing the door. When I turn around, I see Norman digging through his bag. What does he have in his bag? My bag is near-empty, only the essentials and two pictures of my family. And the Matryoshka doll* Grandpa Nick gave to me, of course.

I set the box down on the bookshelf, checking the schedule above it. It reads:

**8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Breakfast**

**9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Morning Classes**

**12:05 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch**

**1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Afternoon Classes**

**3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Study Hall**

**4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Physical Education**

**6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Dinner**

**9:00 PM: Curfew**

Not too bad, I just wish P. E. was longer.

I open the box and take a notebook and pen out for myself, though I know I'll only end up doodling.

Norman is brushing his teeth now, and I suddenly remember why I grabbed my bag. I search through my bag and manage to find my toothbrush, but no toothpaste. Don't tell me I forgot to pack my toothpaste. I groan, throwing my bag to the floor and kicking it under the bed.

I look at Norman; he's making a face in the mirror, his mouth full of toothpaste.

"Hey, Norman." I start, toothbrush in hand as I try to appear nonchalant. "Would you mind if I-" He cuts me off by handing me his toothpaste, still making a face in the mirror. "Oh, thank you,"

It's now my life goal to become friends with this kid.

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**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated for a while. I _do_ have school, and as much as I hate it, it _does_ affect me much like many other authors on this site.**

**Now, I think I just came up with a schedule.**

**I'll post what I have so far on the blog (ONLY ON THE BLOG. THIS IS THE ONLY EXCEPTION.), and when the chapter is complete, I'll post it here. I was going to wait until the chapter's done to post, but then I felt bad and decided to give you this and this update info. So, as far as I know, this is the update schedule, so you can expect _something_ every Friday. Hopefully. I doubt it, but there _may_ be a week that I don't write anything. But like I said, I doubt it.**

**The blog's here: avatarfreak17 . tumblr . com - (And there's a link on my user page)**

**It has quite a few posts already, in my opinion, anyways. It also has my ramblings as I write and updates on what's going on. ****Check it out!**

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**Review Replies:**

**Bigfan (Guest):**** Thank you so much for your kind reviews! Now, I can't guarantee anything about the ships, this is my first shot at romance after all (And just fanfics in general, I think I'm pushing it with trying fanfics _and_ romance at the same time). I'll definitely consider them as friendships however, especially the one with Violet and Bunnymund. I'll be sure to include Nobody. Funny thing is, I'm 98% sure my step-mom bought it for me when the local library was having a book sale a year or two ago. I started reading it, and don't quite remember why I didn't finish, but now I don't know where it is. It's definitely on my 'To Read' list, though. And yes, I'm fine. Your concern just warmed my heart and is the main reason why I'm posting this right now. I just needed a little time to adjust to school again. Hopefully next week will be better.**

**Everyone Else:**** Thank you so much! I cannot believe the good feedback is getting, it just blows me away.**

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**One more thing: I don't really like it when I have long A/N's, and unless it's important (i.e. Update schedules, other stuff directly regarding this fanfic, etc.), A/N's with all my unnecessary ramblings and whatever will start to be posted on the blog. Review replies _will_ stay here.**


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